TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State Men's Head Swimming Coach Dr. Ernie Maglischo, who over the last three years has guided the Sun Devils to three consecutive top-11 NCAA finishes, announced his retirement, ending a coaching career that has spanned 26 years.

"Ernie has been not only a great coach, but also a great person and teacher and he will be missed by ASU," ASU Athletic Director Kevin White said.

This past March, Maglischo guided the Devils to an 11th-place NCAA finish for the second straight year. Maglischo's 1997 ASU squad that placed 11th at nationals had four Sun Devils achieve all-America honors. Maglischo led the '96 squad to a ninth-place finish, its best showing in five years despite sending only four swimmers to nationals. In '95, Maglischo's squad finished second at the Pac-10 Championships, its best showing in Pac-10 Championship history. Maglischo came to Arizona State from California State-Bakersfield where he guided the Roadrunners to eight NCAA Division II titles.

Over the course of his career, Maglischo coached 54 individual champions and 158 all-Americans in 415 events. Included in those 54 individual champions is current Sun Devil Francisco Sanchez, who in 1996 became the first ASU male swimmer to win a national title in 13 years when he garnered the 50 freestyle crown in Austin, Texas. In addition, Maglischo has collected 13 NCAA Division II or III national championships and has guided 19 teams at three different universities to conference championships. He is also the only coach to ever win NCAA titles at three different universities.

White indicated the search for a new head coach would begin immediately.